Music and Family

Music is a huge part of my life and I can thank my mom for being the biggest part of why. From putting me into piano lessons to encouraging me sing in the church kids choir to playing her music in the car, my mom is the most influential person in my experiences with music. That is why I chose to interview her for this blog post. 

Before I go into how the interview went, here is some important background information about my mom. She is in her late 40s, her first language is Ukrainian, and she grew up in the USSR. Her personal music taste is influenced by all of these things and I am so happy to share her stories, opinions, and experiences with music. 

Below I summarized the highlights of our interview because it turned into a 2-hour-long mother-daughter catch up over tea... andddd we were yapping in Russian lol. So here it is:

ME: What is your earliest memory of music?

MOM: One of the earliest memories I have from my childhood was a moment when I was about 3 or 4 years old. My mom was singing a lullaby, the same one I sung to you when you were little. I remember I was scared and did not want her to leave my side all night. 

ME: How did living in Ukraine during the USSR affect you experience with music?

MOM: There was limited music that I could access there. We did not have iPhones or the internet. We only had cassettes, but they were expensive for us. I left Ukraine in 1989, knowing probably like 4-5 popular artists of the time. I did know many worship songs though. We met for church secretly in people's houses. We would always have to meet at night. The communists hated Christians. They sent my Uncle to jail because they found two Bibles in his house. So when we met for church, we sang very quietly. But sometimes, we could not sing at all. 

ME: Is most of the music you listen to in Ukrainian, Russian, or English?

MOM: In general, most of the music I listen to is either in Russian or Ukrainian, but lately every new song I added to my playlist is actually in English.

ME: What is your favorite song?

MOM: My favorite song is, "ABBA." The one that the Bible School came to sing at our church that one time. It was in Ukrainian and Hebrew. I loved it so much.

ME: What kind of music do you really not like?

MOM: I really cannot stand crazy, loud heavy metal music. It makes my head hurt. I cannot really handle anything that has too much drums or bass because of my migraines. I think I am just getting old haha.

ME: What do you think of the music I listen to?

MOM: I like the music you listen to from what I heard, but most of the time I don't catch what they are even saying. It goes too fast for me to catch in English. 

ME: Did you and dad have a special song?

MOM: When dad and I first started dating, there was this one song that was super popular at the time. It's called, "I Saw You Dancing." Both of us barely spoke any English at the time, but even the FOBs ("fresh off the boat" immigrants) knew this one. It reminds of all our first dates. 

ME: Has music changed you?

MOM: Music has definitely impacted my life. I worship God with music. I listen to music to get through hard times in life. I sing along to music when I do all of the mundane, routine things. I am grateful that I can hear all the music I want in America. Music is like color to my life-- I technically don't need it to survive, but I need it to LIVE.

That felt like a beautiful place to end the interview. My mom's answers are going to stick with me for the rest of my life. 

Thank you for reading! Below I included all the songs that my mom mentioned in the interview for anyone curious! 

This is the lullaby that mom babushka sang to my mom, and the one she sang to me when I was a kid. It is called, "Спят усталые игрушки" which translates to "Tired Toys are Sleeping."

This is my mom's favorite song, "ABBA." This one was so hard to find, but I actually found the exact choir that my mom first heard this song from. The beginning of the song is in Ukrainian, and then at 2:53 it switches to Hebrew.

I also linked my mom and dad's special song, "I Saw You Dancing" by Yaki-Da.